Garment hanger



Patented July 20, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT ornea.

JOHN THOMAS B 'r'rs, or PASADENA, oALIFoRNIA.

GARMENT HANGER.

Application filed September 25, 1924. Serial No. 735,843.

ping; and to provide improved means for mounting the friction elements on the hanger. d

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the'accompanying drawing, wherein: 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of the improved hanger, a fragmentary part of agarment being shown by dotted outline at one end of the hanger to illustrate the operation of the flexible friction elements. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on'a reduced scale, showing the same hanger in tilted position, with a garment shown in dotted outline to illustrate the efiect'of the friction elements in preventing shifting of the gar ment.

Fig. 3 is an. enlarged detail, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating how the friction elements may be applied to. a wooden hanger.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, in perspective, of one of the friction elements.

Fig. 51's a transverse section of the supporting bar of the hanger taken on the line- 55 of Fig. 1.

" Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the bow of the hanger taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan of the supporting bar showing one of the key-hole slots in which one of the friction element is adjustably mounted. Fig. 8 is a-detail in plan of a modified form of friction element.

In handling garments with .the common form of hangers heretofore in use, a slight tilting of the hanger causes the garment to slide toward one side of the supporting bar or bow, necessitating readjustment of the garment to insure its being properly supported, andin the case of gowns and other garments of a flimsy texture a slight movement or tilting of the hanger frequently causes the garment to slide off from the supporting bow.

In the construction shown, the hanger includes an improved form and arrangement of friction elements which are mounted on the supporting members of the hanger in position to frictionally engage a garment supported thereon so as to prevent the gar-,

ment from accidentally shifting or sliding off of the hanger.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is applied to a metallic hanger comprisinga bow 1, having mounted thereon a centrally located hook 2, by which the hanger is suspended, and a cross bar 3. Mounted on the supporting bow 1 andcross bar 3, are friction. elements 4 arranged adjacent each end of the hanger and positioned to frictionally engage the garments supported thereon.

The supporting bow land bar 3 are arcuate in cross section, as shown'in Figs. 5 and 6, so as not to present any sharp corners which would tend to crease the garments. The hook 2 is preferably swiveled in abearing 5 in the bow 1. In order that the cross bar 3 may be of maximum length in proportion to the span of the bow, its end portions 6 are bent upwardly and then inwardly at the ends of the bow 1 and are securedto the bowby rivets 7 or other suitable fastening means. a The friction elements areheld in place by being inserted through apertures in the bow and bar. The a ertures 8 are preferably circular and sma ler thanthe heads of the friction elements whereby the elements are securely retained. The apertures 9 are preferably in the form of key-hole slots disposed longitudinally of the cross bar 3 so as to permit the friction elements supported therein to be adjusted to different positions along the hanger. The ends of the apertures 9 are enlargedas shown in Fig. 7 to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of the friction elements. The best results are obtained when the friction elements on the cross bar 3 engage the garment close to the edges thereof, and for this reason these elements are arranged for lateral adjustment to accommodate garments of various widths.

The advantage of having the friction elerather far from this edge, the garment would lift clear of them, and commencing to slide, would acquire a momentum which would overcome the resistance oflered by the friction element when the garment engages it.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3, the bow 10 is of wood and the friction element 4is seated in a bore .12,-having a reduced throat 13 at its upper end.

The friction element 4 is made of rubber or other suitable flexible material and is preferably serrated on its opposed faces to form gripping surfaces 14. A suitable shape for the element 4 is shown in Fig. 4 and comprises two similar heads or blocks connected by a contracted neck 15 which loosely fits the apertures 8 and 9 so as to permit'the friction element to turn or swivel in its mounting, as hereinafter described. To elastic elements 4 in the apertures of the hanger, the lower ends thereof are compressed and then after they have been inserted the resume the shape shown in Fig. 4 so as to e retained in their mountings. The medial portions of the key-hole slots 9 are slightly narrower than the thickness of the friction elements, sov that the latter will be held in any position of adjustment by their own elastic expansion. The heads of the elements 4 project above'and below the bow and cross bar so as to form tongues which are adapted to be flexed under the weight of the garment, or a movement thereof, and naturally assume the position best suited -for resisting such movement.

If desired, friction elements 4.1 of wedge shape, as shown in Figure 8, may be used in place of the form shown in Figure 4. The reduced end of the wedge-shaped element may be readily inserted into the apertures in the bow 1 and cross bar 3 and the element then pulled through to a position where it would fit firmly.

In operation, the garments are supported on the bow and cross bar in the customary manner. The friction elements 4 on the bow assume positions transverse to the hanger and flex outwardly under the weight of the garment, as shown in Fig. 1; The flexible elements on the cross bar 3 are disposed longitudinally of the slots 9 so as to be flexed to either side of the cross bar when the hanger is held horizontally. If the garment tends to shift toward one side of the hanger, the weight thereof causes the friction element to turn in lts bearing so as tolocatethe serrations on the gripping surinsert the.

faces 14 in eflective position for gripping the fabric. As shown in Figure 2, when the hanger is tilted, the garment on the cross bar 3 vforceseethe uppermost friction element to turnat substantially right angles in its bearing, so that when the upper end of the element is flexed over against the cross bar the serrations will extend at substantially right angles to the plane of the hanger.

Although but certain embodiments of this invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A garment hanger comprising a supporting member having an opening formed therein, a flexible friction element having a part seated in said opening, one end of said element projecting to form a tongue havin a gripping surface adapted to be flexe against said supporting member and to be turned relative thereto.

2. A garment hanger comprising a supporting member having an opening extending therethrough, and a flexible friction element loosely fitting in said opening so as to be turnable therein, one end of said element projecting beyond said supporting member to form a tongue adapted to be flexed turnable relative to said supporting member, one end of said element projecting beyond said supporting member to form a tongue adapted to be flexed against said supporting member.

4. A garment hanger comprising a supporting member havin an opening exending therethrough, a in her element having a centrally located contracted neck portion loosely mounted in said opening, the ends of said element being of greater width than said opening, one end of said element projecting beyond said supporting member to form a tongue adapted to be flexed against said supporting member and turned relative thereto, and gripping surfaces on said tongue.

5. A garment hanger comprising a supporting member having a longitudinally extending slot formed therein, and a flexible friction element having a part seated in said slot and being adjustable lon 'tudinally of said support member, one end of said element projecting beyond said supporting member to form a tongue adapted to be flexed against said supporting member.

6. A garment hanger comprising a sup- Ill! mamss a porting member havin a longitufinally ex-. projecting beyono! said sup owing member Y tenfing key-hole slot (mined therein, a ru bto form a tongue adapted to e flexed against her elementhaving apart seated in. said 530% said supportn member. W so as to be adjustable longitudinally of said Signed at 6W ark, N. Y, this 19th day 5 supporting member, said Tnbber elemmt bsof' aptembex', 192 i, img normal]. of greater thicess than she I width @f sald slot, 0m @ncl 0f said elemam 1 JQHN THOMAS BATTSO 

